We see it often: A lot of organizations are attempting to do resources planning well but, the barriers to do so seem to be adding up. You may be juggling spreadsheets, constantly asking for updated project plans, working with managers to make sure their team is actually working on the project… It’s a lot, and you’re not alone. Every organization starts somewhere and many have already matured their processes to support one source, have consistently updated plans and be able to move instantly when pivots are necessary.
The good news? There’s a clear path from resource planning chaos to competitive advantage. This maturity model will help you figure out where you are today and what it takes to get where you want to be tomorrow.
Take the assessment at the end to discover your current level and get your personalized roadmap forward.
Level 1: “Fire Drill” Resource Planning
“My project is approved, and tasks have been assigned, what could go wrong?”
What This Looks Like
Project approved? Great! Let’s start today. In Level 1 organizations, resource planning happens after the fact – if it happens at all. Project managers grab whoever seems available (or whoever they like working with), and resource conflicts are discovered when someone inevitably says “wait, I thought Sarah was working on my project.”
The Daily Reality
Monday morning panic: “Who’s actually working on the Q3 launch?”
The favorite person problem: Your best developers are on every project plan
Excel archaeology: Digging through multiple spreadsheets to figure out who’s supposed to be where
Surprise conflicts: Finding out about resource clashes during project status meetings
Business Impact
- Projects start without clear staffing plans
- Resource conflicts cause last-minute scrambles and project delays
- Team burnout from unclear workload distribution
- Missed opportunities because you can’t confidently commit to new work
Success Metrics at This Level
- Project success is measured by “did we eventually deliver something?”
- Resource conflicts cause last-minute scrambles and project delays
- Team satisfaction varies wildly based on workload luck
Level 2: “Spreadsheet Sophistication”
“We have a system… it’s called Excel”
What This Looks Like
You’ve graduated to more organization but, the chaos still persists. Resource managers now have a say in assignments, and there might even be formal meetings about who’s working on what. The hallmark of Level 2 is the emergence of “The Master Spreadsheet” – that one Excel file everyone’s afraid to touch but desperately needs.
The Daily Reality
The monthly resource meeting: An hour of “Sarah’s booked until Q3, but maybe we can shift Tom from Project B…”
Version control nightmares: “Are you looking at ResourcePlan_v12_final_FINAL.xlsx?”
The skills guessing game: “I think Mike knows React, but let me check with his last project manager”
Capacity calculations: Manual math that everyone hopes is right
Business Impact
- Better visibility than Level 1, but still reactive
- Resource conflicts are caught earlier, but solutions are limited
- Skills and experience aren’t systematically leveraged
- Planning beyond current projects is difficult
Success Metrics at This Level
- Fewer last-minute resource surprises
- Some basic utilization tracking
- Project managers and resource managers communicate somewhat regularly
Level 3: “Getting Serious”
“We have a real system now that provides real insights”
What This Looks Like
The business has officially outgrown Excel (hallelujah!) and invested in proper resource management tools. You can finally see everyone’s capacity and current commitments in one place. Resource managers can spot over-allocation before it becomes a crisis, and project managers can make more informed staffing decisions.
The Daily Reality
Capacity planning: “Based on current commitments, we can start the new project in 6 weeks”
Team Resource orchestration: “Our Agile teams need two more developers for the mobile sprint, and we can pull them from the waterfall ERP project between phases”
What-if scenarios: “If we hired two more architects we could deliver this 3 months earlier”
Real utilization data: Finally knowing if your team is actually overloaded or just complaining
Business Impact
- Projects start with clear resource plans
- 3-12 month planning becomes possible
- Resource conflicts are prevented, not just managed
Success Metrics at This Level
- Improved project success rates
- Better resource utilization (without burnout)
- Faster project staffing decisions
- Reduced resource-related delays
- Resources flow seamlessly between waterfall phases and agile sprints based on business priorities
Level 4: “Strategic Resource Orchestration”
“Our resource plan drives our business strategy”
What This Looks Like
Resource planning is now part of strategic planning. Before any project gets approved, the resource requirements are understood and validated. Portfolio managers, project managers, and resource managers work together to ensure the organization is taking on work it can actually deliver.
The Daily Reality
Skills-based assignments: “We need someone with React experience – oh look, Sarah and Mike both qualify and Sarah’s available”
Strategy sessions that include resources: “This roadmap looks great, but do we have the expertise to deliver it?”
Integrated planning: Project timelines are based on actual resource availability, not wishful thinking
Long-term forecasting: “If we want to enter the mobile market next year, we need to start hiring iOS developers now”
Data-driven decisions: “Based on our utilization patterns, we should invest in automation tools”
Business Impact
- Strategy and execution are aligned through resource reality
- Projects have higher success rates because they’re properly staffed from the start
- Competitive advantage through better execution predictability
- Proactive capability upskilling rather than reactive hiring
Success Metrics at This Level
- High project success rates (80%+ on time, on budget)
- Strategic initiatives are delivered as planned
- Resource utilization optimized for sustainability (75-80%)
- Predictable project delivery timelines
- Real visibility into the work, the skills required and the skills your people have
Level 5: “Resource Management as Competitive Advantage”
“Our strategy is credible because we have the people and plan to execute it”
What This Looks Like
Resource management has evolved into a formal Resource Management Office (RMO) that connects company vision and strategic goals directly to project execution capabilities. The RMO provides executive leadership with confidence that strategic initiatives aren’t just aspirational slide decks – they’re executable plans backed by real resource commitments and capability development. For some, an RMO may not be an official department, it may be an executive-level commitment that Resource Managers have a seat at every table.
The Daily Reality
Vision-to-execution mapping: “Our 3-year vision requires these 12 strategic initiatives, supported by these 47 projects, and here’s exactly how we’ll staff them”
Strategic confidence validation: “Yes, we can commit to that market expansion timeline – here’s the resource plan that proves it”
Skill gap analysis: “To achieve our strategic goals, we need to train these capabilities by Q2 next year, and here’s our development plan”
Strategic target accountability: “Our strategic goals are realistic because we have the resource plan to deliver the projects that support them”
Execution confidence: We can present strategy knowing it’s backed by executable resource commitments, not wishful thinking
Business Impact
- Strategic planning sessions produce executable plans, not just aspirational goals
- Executive leadership has confidence in strategic commitments to board, investors, and market
- Organization consistently delivers on strategic promises because resource reality is built into the planning
- Strategic pivots are possible because leadership understands true execution capacity
- Competitive advantage through reliable strategic execution
Success Metrics at This Level
- Strategic initiatives consistently deliver on promised timelines and outcomes
- Executive leadership confidence in strategic commitments
- Board/investor confidence in organization’s execution capability
- Market recognition as an organization that delivers what it promises
- Strategic goals are achieved year over year because they’re resourced appropriately
Assessment: Where Are You Today?
Rate each statement from 1-5 (1=Never, 5=Always)
Resource Planning Process:
- We know who’s working on what projects at any given time
- We can quickly identify which team members have specific skills
- We catch resource conflicts before they impact project timelines
- We can confidently commit to project timelines based on resource availability
- Our project approval process includes resource capacity validation
Tools and Systems:
- We have centralized visibility into team capacity and availability
- Our resource planning tools integrate with project management systems
- We can model different scenarios without affecting live project data
- Our resource data is accurate and updated in real-time
- We can report on resource utilization and project staffing metrics
Strategy to Execution:
- Resource constraints influence our strategic planning decisions
- We plan resource needs 6+ months in advance
- Our hiring strategy aligns with our project roadmap
- We can confidently commit to strategic initiatives because we have resource plans to support them
- Our strategic goals are realistic because they’re backed by executable resource commitments
Your Maturity Level:
15-25 points: Level 1
Fire Drill Planning
You’re not alone! Most organizations start here. The good news is that small improvements will have big impacts.
26-40 points: Level 2
Spreadsheet Sophistication
You’ve recognized the problem and are working on solutions. Time to graduate from Excel!
41-55 points: Level 3
Getting Serious
You have the foundation in place. Now it’s time to use your system strategically.
56-70 points: Level 4
Strategic Resource Orchestration
You’re ahead of most organizations. Focus on connecting resource planning to strategic execution.
71-75 points: Level 5
Competitive Advantage
You’re a resource management leader! Your strategy is credible because you have the execution plan to back it up.
Your Next Steps by Level
If You’re at Level 1 or 2:
Priority: Get out of Excel and into a real system
- Implement centralized resource visibility
- Start with basic capacity planning
- Focus on preventing resource conflicts
Quick win: Basic utilization tracking
If You’re at Level 3:
Priority: Connect resource planning to project success
- Implement what-if scenario planning
- Integrate resource planning with project approval processes
- Start longer-term capacity forecasting
Quick win: Resource-based project timeline validation
If You’re at Level 4:
Priority: Master strategic orchestration
- Focus on the integration between resource planning and strategic planning
- Develop advanced forecasting and scenario planning capabilities
- Capture skills required for the success of the assignment and compare it to the skills that your people have
Quick win: Create a “strategy reality check” process where all strategic initiatives must demonstrate resource availability and capability alignment before moving forward
If You’re at Level 5:
Priority: Maintain competitive advantage through execution confidence
- Continuous optimization of strategy-to-execution mapping
- Advanced capability gap analysis and development planning
- Executive confidence building through resource-backed strategic commitments
Quick win: Enhanced vision-to-project-to-resource mapping and reporting
The Bottom Line
Resource management maturity isn’t just about better processes – it’s about turning your people into a competitive advantage. Organizations that master resource planning don’t just deliver projects on time; they deliver the right projects with the right people, building capabilities that drive long-term success.
The question isn’t whether you need better resource planning. The question is: how much is your current approach costing you, and how quickly can you level up?
Ready to move to the next level? Let’s talk about how to turn your resource planning from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
